Tài liệu Grammar for everyone part 24 docx

A Genitive The genitive case refers to someone, or something, that possesses something, for example: This theatre’s acoustics are superb. Vocative The vocative case refers to the words by which you address persons or things, for example: Hurry, girls, the play is about to start. 24.1 Activities: case 1. Students identify the case of each of the nouns or pronouns in the following sentences. a. Dad sings in the shower. b. Rory sat on a green mat. c. Driver, please stop at the entrance. d. Lucy’s sister has asthma. e. Give the principal this note, Cassie. 2. Students write two sentences for each of the following words, using a different case for each, for example: elephant: My uncle has an elephant’s tusk. (genitive) Elephants are reputed to have long memories. (nominative) a. explosion b. Queen Victoria c. algebra d. speaker e. love 151 c A s e 152 G r A M M A r f o r e V e rY o n e C Checklist: case Students should now be able to: • define the term ‘case’ • name the five cases which are applicable in English • give the function of each • state the case of any noun or pronoun in a given sentence • suggest a reason why understanding case can be useful 153 25 Phrases Definition: The word ‘phrase’ comes, via Latin, from the Greek phrazein meaning ‘to tell’. A phrase provides additional infor- mation to a statement. It is a group of words without a finite verb which forms a grammatical unit that can do the work of an adjective, an adverb or a noun (or pronoun, less commonly). Before studying phrases, students should be able to: • recognise and understand the function of all eight parts of speech • understand the formation of the present and past participles (participles, especially the present participle are common in phrases) Phrases and clauses are both word groups which, with the exception of noun phrases and clauses, act as appendages to one or another word in a simple sentence. They both have the function of expanding information but they differ in construction, so we deal with them separately, beginning with phrases, which are simpler, but enjoyable to work with. Note that some modern grammar texts allow the application of the term ‘phrase’ to any group of two or more words – or even one word – as in Glass is breakable/The glass is breakable. This use of the word ‘phrase’ is not only totally confusing, as the words marked already have defining terminology, but also renders not only the function but the category and the word ‘phrase’ itself as quite meaningless. In the traditional sense, being an appendage, an adjectival or an adverbial phrase can be removed from a sentence, leaving the remainder grammatically whole. Thus it possesses a clear and valuable function. 154 G r A M M A r f o r e V e rY o n e Adjectival phrases This is a group of words forming a unit and doing the work of an adjective. Therefore, it tells more about a noun or pronoun. For example: Today I saw a man with a glass eye. adjectival phrase qualifying the noun ‘man’ Somebody wearing army boots robbed the bank. adjectival phrase qualifying the pronoun ‘somebody’ You can remove the phrase and the remainder is still a complete sentence. A man wearing army boots robbed the bank. Adverbial phrases As the name suggests these phrases give more information about the action of the verb. They modify verbs in just the same way that single adverbs do. And, just like adverbs, they give answers to the questions: When? – time; Where? – place; How? – manner; Why? – reason etc. For example – adverbial phrases modifying the verb ‘caught’: Jack caught a huge fish just before sunset. [time] Jack caught a huge fish in the causeway. [place] Jack caught a huge fish with his new rod. [manner] Jack caught a huge fish to have for supper. [reason] Adjectival and adverbial phrases, like single adjectives and adverbs, must be placed as closely as possible to the words that they qualify or modify, otherwise they may give quite the wrong meaning. For example: The fishermen sold us a huge crab with a long beard. or The fisherman with a long beard sold us a huge crab. Noun phrases These have the function of nouns so they can also be objects, subjects or complements. For this reason, unlike adjectival and adverbial phrases, they form a necessary part of the sentence. For example: Fishing in the causeway is my favourite hobby. noun phrase as subject I love fishing in the causeway. noun phrase as object 155 p h r A s e s 156 G r A M M A r f o r e V e rY o n e A My Dad’s work is fishing in the sea. noun phrase as complement 25.1 Activities: phrases 1. Students complete sentences by matching each part to a fitting noun phrase. They underline each noun phrase and note whether it is a subject or object. a. lifting weights how to ride a skateboard b. retired sailors like not to go alone c. David will show you grandma taught me d. a state of emergency living by the sea e. is prohibited can be very messy f. to tell the truth strengthens your muscles g. eating spaghetti the president declared h. what to wear laughing at his jokes i. made our stomachs ache please let us know j. I told you spitting in the bus 2. Students write sentences using each of the following phrases in two ways, as a noun, an adjective or an adverb. They underline the phrase and indicate its kind, for example: teasing dogs – Teasing dogs is very dangerous Noun – subject a. with a sharp knife b. wearing a mask c. over the fence d. in the street e. to save money 3. A simple sentence is written on the board. Students either take turns to add an adjectival phrase orally, or write one in their books to be read out. Remember – no finite verbs! For example: A A man got on the bus. 1st student – A man with tattoos and dreadlocks got on the bus. 2nd student – A man wearing a false beard … 3rd student – A man got on the bus waiting at the traffic lights. 4. Students are given nouns to qualify with adjectival phrases. a. the lantern b. his toe c. my socks d. a taxi e. an elephant 5. Students are given a sheet of paper printed with cartoons of people, objects, animals or scenes. Swipe Art from the computer can be used. The students write a sentence for each picture, describing it and including an adjectival phrase. They underline the phrase, for example: In the supermarket I saw a man with a big nose. 6. As well as the activities described below, all of those for adjectival phrases can be used to identify adverbial phrases modifying verbs. Students underline the phrase and indicate with an arrow the verb that it modifies, for example: a. They heard this strange knocking all through the night. b. Dad found a real opal down by the river. c. With a toss of her head she marched out. d. Dad jumped over the fence, just in time. e. I wouldn’t do that for a hundred quid. Students are asked if they can find a sentence in those above, which contains more than one phrase. 157 p h r A s e s . subjects or complements. For this reason, unlike adjectival and adverbial phrases, they form a necessary part of the sentence. For example: Fishing in the. commonly). Before studying phrases, students should be able to: • recognise and understand the function of all eight parts of speech • understand the formation